Granite and dye! - Staining to newly laid granite setts

[rigby]

Guys, this is a nightmare. Have a good builder (or so I thought) prepare and lay my front drive, concrete base, granite setts (black), and I think Chinese, from London Stone; thought they were great when I couldn't get black basalt from CED. Looked fabulous pre pointing. I told builder I wanted black pointing, you know the pitch look and he mixed a black cement dye into his sand and cement mix for pointing. By the next day I could see that the granite had absorbed some of the dye; it also looks as if perhaps concrete left too. It all looks very messy. Does anyone have any experience and advice with this? Thx Rigby

[Pablo]

what method of pointing did he use. It's unlikely the stone has absorbed the dye but it could easily have stained it. Adding dyes to mortar is usually a pointless task the colour doesn't last long it's best to use the likes of easipoint which is ready mixed in various colours and is much more colourfast. Can you post some pictures.

[lutonlagerlout]

as pablo correctly states no matter how black it looks now it will be grey in a years time
would have been better off using a basalt sand
need pictures really mate
LLL

[rigby]

Hi, thanks for your responses. shame about dye not lasting... wonder if I would have these problems if that hadn't been used. do have photos.. how do I post? method he used was applied the mix (obviously not very wet but don't know exact break down he used) which was then trowelled in, stamped down with wooden squeegee type things and then brushed off. It's interesting that you say unlikely to have absorbed dye (good news I hope)... I have noticed that towards night fall the stones are going black, with damp I guess and it takes a very long time for them to dry out, during the day, if at all (this is on a dry/sunny day).. just mention this as I did wonder if there is anything else at play here...the stones were pointed just a week ago and perhaps the pointing and sub base are still wet (builder tried jet hosing on Monday this week). If stones do dry in centre, they are not drying at edges, which is why I am unsure about whether they have absorbed dye or not. sorry lots more to say but probably doesn't help at this stage and you need to see pics. How to do? Cheers..

[haggistini]

I thought that granite was non porous ?

[rigby]

apparently less porous than most stone but nevertheless has some degree of poricity, and can vary from one granite to the next.... as I understand from my reading.
... correct me if I'm wrong.

[Pablo]

Images sent to me by Mrs Rigby



I'll set the ball rolling by saying that the granite is covered and heavily stained by the dye I'd also say I'm not fussed by the laying either which is poorly coursed and the blocks haven't been separated into different sizes. The pointing looks like a combo of brushing and light hosing which is why the large bits of grit are exposed. The dye is making them look wet.

[lutonlagerlout]

its very "rustic " looking
looks very much like dye on the granite,and yes haggi granite is porous, just not very much
no quick fixes,just let the sun and the rain do their job
IMHO
LLL

[rigby]

Can you tell me in your experience:

1 Is there a period of time that it takes for pointing to dry out sufficiently so that the granite does not have the wet looking edges (which they have had constantly since pointing).

This will help me work out if it is truly dye... or something gone wrong with bedding?
Perhaps I should try drying with hair dryer?

2 these three photos don’t show the degree of muck on some of setts, which I think is concrete/sand, or perhaps even iron coming through (?)
Is there any product that you would recommend applying to clean?
Do you really think that in time (sun/rain) will effectively clean the granite?

Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.
Rigby

[lutonlagerlout]

hydrochloric acid will help clean cement off ,but roger oakey and/or cookie can advise you better here
I appreciate that they are new setts ,but it defo looks like dye to me
at this time of year it may not dry out at all
cheers LLL

[rigby]

Thanks LLL.

Other thoughts from anyone appreciated...

[haggistini]

We use ecochem (available at most BM's) it's more gentile and enviro friendly than hydrochloric and safer to use we applie it with a soft brush and then pressure wash off full ppe should be worn!

[rigby]

Hi. thanks for that. builder just done some tests with Sealocrete products: looks like the stronger strength (has 16% hydrochloric acid in) does best job, other one left residues of efflorescence. any feedback on that product?

[RAPressureWashing]

Looks like "dye" to me also, trouble is with trying to remove the dye from the granite there is a chance you will remove it from the pointing.

16% hydrochloric acid is fairley strong but to clean granite we would use a different acid and it is not for the DIYer as not nice to use.
The hydrochloric acid should get rid of concrete "snots" and at that strenght the efflo but might damage the pointing.

[rigby]

what sort of damage will hydrochloric acid to do pointing? does it effect colour or will it remove or loosen it?